Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-08-12
SQUIRRELS AND FORESTS

y
great men and military heroes did not
abound throughout the country as they
do now. hence 1t may easily be imagined
the advent OF Commodore Morgan. not
only social nagnate. but one of the
heroes of the war of 1912. created no IL
tie excitement in an isolated home in the
wilderness. Accordingly at breakfast
the next morning his expected visit was
the chief subject OF conversation. and
having become l'ami de Ia maison was
admitted to the family council where the
ways and means of his reception and en-
tertainment were discussed. Our kind
hostess having gathered from the talk of
her husband and myself that the old sailor
was not only great lover of the flesh
pots and one of that noted band of iollv
gourlnets who gave prestige to the eel
lar and cuisine of that grand old
landlord of the olden time. David Bar
mum, felt somewhat nervous. and insis-
ted on discussing the menu for each meal
during the great mans brief stay.
As he was expected to lunch within a
few hours, and there would not be time
to prepare an elaborate meal. it was de-
termined the lunch should serve as a
light gastronomc skirmish leading up to
the great festive battle to be fought in
the evening. in which the chief expected
/
of his irresistible squirrel soup. For the
lunch, then, we were to have cold roasted
grouse, broiled venison, glade potatoes in
their Jackets and nothing more, while at
dinner-which could not be until our re-
turn from an evening hunt about SHUTDOWN
all the resources of the larder were to
be brought into play.
As we left the breakfast table il was
remembered there were no SQUIRRELS in
the larder. and the venson had been left
Tor Hans Bropes to bring over the next
day. n servant was dispatched for the
venison, while the chief and J. taking our
rifles, rode out to meet the commodore
and bag all the squirrels needed for the
soup by the way.
We persucd our road slowly. much
more interested in our conversation than
Ill the capture of such small game as
squirrels, which might be seen scamper-
ing in every direction; but now and then
we stopped to take a crack at some urfor-
tunate bunny who had the impudence to
bark at us and offer fair target. Upon
the squire's broachng his pet theory that
IL created things rendered services to
n an in compensation for the damages
they might infiict, asked what possible
compensations squirrels could offer for
the destruction wrought by them on the
farmer crops-sO serious in former times
as to compel the authorities to put price
upon their scalps. | then cited a case in
point when in l150 the treasury of the
Colony of Penn was actually bankrupted
in pa, .ng of the scalp bounties. The
squirrel, my dear boy, replied the squire,
plays much more important part in the
economy of nature than he is given credit
for: he does more for the perpetuation of
our for is than all the scientific schools
of forestry so cherished by the govern
ments of Europe, for bunny is most in
de'atigable tree planter, and if you are
not afraid of a long story will tell you
how found this out.
IN my bachelor days | was living in
Clarke, in a snug little house seated in
the heart of a beautiful grove of trees,
principally oak, walnut and hickory.
One bitter cold day. as was enjoying
my pipe by the ingle side. one of my
negroes who bad been out telling trees
tapped at the window, and held up full
grown gray squirrel a female. which he
had captured uniniured from hollow
limb. | opened the window. and babe
him toss ii into the room. which was no
sooner done than the affrighted creature
t. Jk refuge behind Il heavy bookcase. |
resumed my seat. and soon forgot the
Incident. | took it for granted the cap
tive would soon make his escape through
II uoor or Il window carelessly left open
but two days after. when came down
to breakfast, | was agreeaby surprised
as ente'ed the room to see the prisoner
make prodigiOus bound from the man
tie to the top of the bookcase and disap-
pear-then it was | conceived the idea of
demonstrating so pretty creature and
gave strict orders to the house girls that
rla lnnr- anl Windows .h,,nll la
carefully closed. Gradually Miss Bunny
became more aud more familiar. to such
a degree as not only to eat from my hand
but actually to root her way in between
my back and the cushion of my arm chair,
to find warm snug place. but she would
never suffer me TO put my hand on her,
and so we lived in good fellowship through
the winter until the spring was far enough
advanced to sit with open windows. Then
it was the tickle jade Tilted me. She took
French leave and never expected to see
her again. About a week after this |
was delighted one morning to see her
ladyship leap from the sill of the open
window and disappear in the hollow of
decaying maple which stood within ten
steps of the house. | was not long in
discovering that my pretty pet had gone
off in "ch of mate, and had persuaded
a wild denizen of the forest TO put his
head into the matrimonial moose. and that
the two We're actually domicled in my
maple tree. The gentleman bunny was
at first exceedingly shy, but gradually
became bold enough to Join his spouse in
carrying off Jumps of meat and other It'd
bits, which took care to leave on the
window sill when | happened to think of
it. But to come to the kernel of my story.
Near another window of the same room
was II magnificent shell-bark hickory, so
exceptionally fine that it escaped the axe,
though in dangerous proximity 10 the
house. This tree bore delicious nuts, and
in alternate years the crops were enor-
nous, and furnished my squirrels an
abundant supply of their favorite food.
have sat at that window for an hour at a
time watching the pair, not eating but in
dustrously engaged in planting the nuts,
rot in one spot, but wherever they might
find them They would dig hole about